The days when product quality alone spelled success in the craft beverage industry are behind us. Consumers have access to more options than they’ll ever get to explore, so companies need to find efficient and compelling ways to convey their value proposition via strong branding.

In this webinar, SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Jeremy Murrell, Founder and CEO of Morpheus Brand Consulting how to build a winning craft beverage brand, whether new, established, or heritage.

Craft beverage production is often a labor of love, with owners directly involved in every facet of the business. However, as companies mature, organizational processes grow more complex, testing the founders’ capacity. Leaders at the helm of expanding companies need to learn how to shift from working in the business to working on the business. 

In this webinar, the Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden speaks with Catoctin Creek Distilling Company Founder and General Manager Scott Harris about his experience growing the distillery from a small family business to a global brand.

To reach consumers and distinguish themselves from their much larger competitors, small craft beverage producers need to find impactful ways to speak to consumers’ values, including an established market preference for local, sustainable products.

In this webinar, the Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Steve Haring of Virginia Agroecology Services how producers of all sizes and business models can implement and convey sustainable practices to grow their audience.

With all the permitting, licensing, inspections, and fundraising rquired, building a brewery, winery, cidery, or distillery from the ground up can feel like an impossible task. Meanwhile, founders in the alcohol industry often struggle with the process of exiting the business they’ve invested so much time, energy, and money.

In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Janine Aquino, Senior Consultant & Licensed Real Estate Agent at Aquino Baron Consulting, about how to create ownership transitions that benefit all parties.

The manufacturing of alcohol requires significant capital and yields relatively slim margins, so success hinges upon leadership’s stewardship of company funds.

In this webinar, Craft Beverage Assistance program manager Chris Van Orden asks Devon Ponds, principal at Ironclad Consulting, about best practices in financial management for the craft beverage sector.

To be successful in an increasingly competitive marketplace with tight margins, alcohol producers need to make a high-quality product and do so efficiently and reliably.

In this program, Virginia SBDC’s Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Nassim Sultan of BarrelVision about the many ways in which breweries, wineries, and distilleries can reduce waste and improve quality on the production floor.

For several years, Virginia wineries have been able to distribute and personally deliver their wines to local retailers using the Virginia Wine Distribution Company (VWDC), a non-profit corporation housed within the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).  This year, a similar option is available to breweries through the Virginia Beer Distribution Company (VBDC).

In this webinar, the Virginia SBDC’s Chris Van Orden asks Dakota Rust, VBDC Operations Director, about the new distribution options available to Virginia breweries.

The traditional three-tier system of alcohol distribution requires producers to sell their products to wholesalers, who then sell to retailers serving the consumer. However, Virginia wineries are able to distribute and personally deliver their wines to local retailers using the Virginia Wine Distribution Company (VWDC), a non-profit corporation housed within the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).

In this webinar, the Virginia SBDC’s Chris Van Orden asks Staci Saunders, VWDC Operations Director, how Virginia wineries can make the most of their VWDC rights.

In order to compete with the massive marketing budgets of their corporate competition, small craft beverage producers need to be strategic about how and where they allocate their resources. With a small amount of planning and some basic skillsets, even micro-producers can create compelling stories.

In this webinar, the Virginia SBDC’s Chris Van Orden speaks with Zack Johnson and John Park of the JPG Agency about the marketing fundamentals that all producers need to have in place to stay relevant in the marketplace.

Sharing a meal or a drink is one of the most meaningful ways to bridge cultures, which is why diplomats, economic developers, and cultural groups are always looking for ways to incorporate small F&B producers into their engagements with other countries. This marks an opportunity for savvy companies looking to elevate their brand and reach new international audiences.

In this webinar, the Virginia SBDC’s Chris Van Orden will speak with Tyler Savoy, Senior Protocol Officer at the US Department of State in charge of the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership and the American Culinary Corps, about the many ways that small food and beverage producers can expand their global reach by engaging in diplomatic efforts small and large.